


The Skies We're Under

by tobiramas-shoulder-fur (Catnerys)



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bad Puns, Banter, Hatake Kakashi Has Issues, Implied/Referenced Underage Drinking, Inspired by Firewatch (Video Game), M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Umino Iruka Has Issues Too
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:15:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24116383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Catnerys/pseuds/tobiramas-shoulder-fur
Summary: Determined to run away from his problems, Kakashi takes up the job as a fire lookout, a job that leaves him all alone in a tower in the middle of the woods with only his dogs as company. Or so he had thought.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Comments: 3
Kudos: 31





	The Skies We're Under

**Author's Note:**

> This is for my friend Aidan who would not let this go until I did it and hey, look at that. I did it. 
> 
> Also, it might not look like it right now but this might get pretty heavy and dark at some point. I'm not sure how much but a little bit at the very least. If anyone is familiar with Firewatch, the game gets pretty heavy at some points, too. I will also only follow the plot loosely and only use certain things. It's not a retelling of the game at all. I would suggest you to go check it out because it's gorgeous. 
> 
> If I missed anything you think I should tag but didn't please let me know in the comments and I'll add it.

**Arrival**

The dogs were obviously glad to be finally out of the car and Kakashi couldn’t blame them. He was glad, too. The trip had been long, traffic had been awful for some reason and he had to stop several times to give them some water and let them run around a little bit. 

But now they were here. 

There was a big gate with a sign saying Shi no Mori National Park written on it, looming over him. The dogs were bouncing all over the place, leashes tangling up as they tried to smell everything. He gave them a moment before he clicked his tongue. They immediately snapped to attention, all coming to his side. Bringing order back into the leashes was a little bit difficult but he managed it somehow. 

“Stay.” He ordered, then placed the leashes on the ground. 

He waited a second, just to see if they listened- they all did, even little Bisuke who usually struggled with the Stay command the most was sitting holding still, tail wagging wildly- before he turned back to his car. He grabbed the backpack from the backseat, along with the two extra bags and hoisted everything onto his shoulders. With a groan, he adjusted the straps so they stopped cutting into his skin. 

Then he bend down to pick up the leashes again which proved to be a precarious balancing act but he didn’t topple over. He wrapped the end of the leashes around his wrists, making sure they were secure before giving the dogs the sign to move. They jumped to the chance to explore more immediately but stayed a little bit closer to him this time. 

  
It was a long hike. He had known this beforehand but it still somewhat surprised him, now that he was actually on the way. He was sweating, back complaining about the weight and his breath was coming in pants already and he had only been walking for less than two hours. 

The landscape was beautiful, though, and it made up for everything. 

Kakashi tried to calm his breath as he took a step off the path, looking down the slope sprawling out in front of him. The sunlight was filtering through the leaves, plunging everything into a golden light and made it look almost magical and unreal. There were so many smells that the air actually felt different to him and Kakashi pulled down his mask to breathe it all in. Everything was so green. 

Pakkun barked and it pulled Kakashi back. He stepped back onto the path, adjusted his cargo again and kept on walking.

  
Water had never tasted so good. Kakashi drank eagerly, finishing off another bottle. He still had two more in his backpack that had to last him until he made it to the lookout tower. The dogs were drinking from the river, happy about the long walk but they, too, were getting tired. 

Kakashi checked his map. They were more than halfway there. 

The sound of leaves rustling caught his attention and his head snapped up. The dogs were still at the water but Bull and Pakkun both looked in the same direction as Kakashi. 

It was a stag. It wasn’t close enough that he could see it fully but he could spot the antlers through the bushes, glimpses of a small but strong body covered in reddish-brown fur. Kakashi froze, not daring to move. It was grazing peacefully. How it hadn’t noticed the dogs was beyond him but he didn’t want to scare it away just yet. 

Then, a loud splash came from the river and Kakashi turned to see Akino and Uhei play fighting in the water. 

When he turned back to the stag, it was gone. 

  
The tower was bigger than expected. It probably wasn’t taller than the trees but the immediate area around it was cleared of any and it had been built on a slightly elevated spot on the clearing which all made it seem as if it was much taller. 

Kakashi lifted a hand to protect his eye from the setting sun as he craned his neck to see the very top of the tower. 

He was tired and more than eager to finally get out of his sweat-drenched clothes but he gave himself a moment to just enjoy the breathtaking view. The sky was all shades of orange with pinkish hues splattered wherever clouds were until it gave away to a deep and dark blue that seemed almost black, the faint shimmer of stars just barely visible.

“Alright, boys, let’s go.” He said quietly. 

  
The stairs proved to be a problem which- honestly- he had expected but he had very much underestimated just how much of a problem they would be. Pakkun didn’t like them and straight up refused to get up them and so he had to carry him, Bisuke followed his example and had to be picked up, too and Bull didn’t seem to be a fan either but there was no way Kakashi was carrying him all the way up. It took them way too long to get up to the cab and he had to cajole Bull with a great part of the treats he had on him to even give it a try which of course meant the others wanted treats, too. 

He would have to make them a shelter on the ground- at the very least for Bull- but he didn’t had the energy for that right now and did not want them to sleep outside. He trusted them so they wouldn’t run away as they were too well trained for that but still. He wanted his dogs with him for the first night, at least. All of them. 

The cab was small- as expected- with windows stretching over all four walls which helped to make it feel bigger. There was a doormat which had ‘Howdy’ written over it that made him scoff in amusement as he walked in. Cabinets lined the walls and the bed was bigger than he had thought it would be. A few of his dogs could probably sleep in there alongside him. It had a stove and enough space for everything he could need. There was even a bookshelf and a small desk with a chair. There were a few supply boxes strewn around.

He carefully put Pakkun and Bisuke down and after making all of them sit, he unlatched the leashes. While the dogs explored their new living space, Kakashi dropped his cargo, letting out a groan of relief as he stretched, his spine popping and cracking loudly in protest. No matter how gross he felt right now, showering would have to wait until tomorrow. As far as he knew, there was a shower somewhere on the ground but he didn’t have the energy to look for it right now. 

He switched the generator on, lights flickering on without any issues. 

Kakashi peeled his shirt off and carelessly dropped it onto the chair, his mask and pants following quickly. Once he had switched into a comfortable pair of worn-thin sweatpants and a soft shirt and opened one of the extra bags he had brought with him. 

It was all dog supplies; bowls, cooling vests and blankets and padded pillows, brushes, coat clippers, nail trimmers and dog shampoo, along with several toys and two big packs of dog food. Kakashi took the bowls, making a space for them in a corner of the cab and filled them with food and water. He patted Bull’s head when he passed him, receiving a quick lick over his fingers in return. 

The bed was beckoning him in but he wanted to have a quick look around before sleep. There were already some cans of food and there were three gallons of water tucked away in a cabinet. He had already been supplied with some blankets and pillows as well as a bunch of books, ranging from romance and crime novels to plant identification books. 

A sudden crackle had him jump and he promptly hit his elbow at the bookshelf. 

“Eagle Lookout to Centipede Lookout, please respond.” A voice said. 

Uhei barked in confusion and Kakashi shushes him softly, petting his head. The voice came from a radio that was located on the desk and he picked it up, quickly figuring how where which buttons were. 

“Eagle Lookout, this is Centipede Lookout speaking.”

“Great! I saw the lights on and hoped to catch you before you went to sleep so I can welcome you to the job!” The man said. 

Kakashi frowned, casting a look around. He had seen the lights? From where?

“I’m Umino Iruka, pleased to meet you. I’m here to guide you for your first few days. So, welcome to the fire lookout team!” Iruka continued. 

So he was a fellow lookout, a colleague so to speak. Kakashi stepped towards the windows, trying to spot where Iruka might be contacting him from. 

“Hatake Kakashi. Where are you stationed?” Kakashi asked.

“Eagle Lookout, just to your… uh, north-west? Yeah, north-west.” 

Kakashi turned and walked to the window facing the direction Iruka supposedly was. And there, in the distance were lights, another lookout cab on top of one of the mountains. That had to be Eagle Lookout. 

“Anyways, welcome to the team, Rookie. We didn’t have any new guys in the team for a while, so what brings you here?” Iruka asked. 

It made Kakashi hesitate. He could hear the dogs shuffling around behind him as he thought about what he was supposed to say now. What was the appropriate answer to this? Was he supposed to just tell the truth? He opened his mouth, then closed it with a click, lips pressing into a thin line. 

“Not sure how’s that your business.” He eventually said. 

Laughter rang through the radio. Kakashi’s heart was thudding fast in his chest.

“It isn’t. It’s just that nobody really sane takes this job. So, what’s wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with you?” Kakashi bit back. 

Iruka laughed again, quieter this time. His fingers were grabbing the walkie talkie so tight his knuckles were turning white, the dull edges of the plastic digging into his skin as he stared into the direction of Eagle Lookout. 

“Good question! You get a guess if I get one.” Iruka answered. 

Kakashi gritted his teeth. He didn’t want to play guessing games, especially not this one. This job was supposed to take him away from people and yet here he was with some guy who thought it was funny to invade his privacy like that. He was tired. He wanted to go to bed. 

“If I play along, can I go and sleep?” He asked. 

“Sure! I won’t stop you. You go first.” 

He sighed, letting himself fall heavily onto the bed. Guruko took the chance as soon as he saw it and jumped into his lap, tucking his nose under Kakashi’s chin, tail wagging happily. With a low chuckle, he petted him, scratching him behind the ear just how he knew he liked it. 

So, why was Iruka here? He knew nothing about the man, except that he was a fire lookout and pretty blunt. That wasn’t helpful at all. He would just have to come up with something himself. Turn this into a joke, maybe. Making the one guy who was around and able to help him find his footing dislike him was probably a very stupid idea. 

“Alright, you couldn’t keep your nose out of other people’s business and now some mafia boss wants you dead and this is your witness protection plan.” He guessed, making his voice light. 

Again, a laugh crackled through the radio. Kakashi smirked. 

“Oh, I love that. Wish my life was interesting enough for that. Now my turn.” Iruka was quiet for a moment. “You are an international superstar and wanted a break from all the fame and media trouble and decided to hide out here for a while.” 

It actually made him laugh a little bit. Him. A superstar. Sure. At least this Iruka seemed to have somewhat of a good sense of humor. Maybe they would get along just fine. 

“Sure, that’s me.” He said, amusement clear in his voice. 

“Aha, I knew I knew your voice from somewhere. You’re the broody, stoic action hero type of guy, I just know it. Lots of cars and explosions and stupid one liners.” Iruka went on. “Don’t think you’re getting any special treatments because of it.” 

Kakashi scoffed, letting himself fall backwards onto the bed. Guruko whined because it meant he had to stop petting him for a moment but quickly realized he could now squeeze himself between his owner and the wall, pressing them together tightly. His tail hit Kakashi rhythmically in the thigh. 

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Kakashi said. 

“Great! Welcome on the team, Kakashi.”

**Day 1**

The sun was rising slowly in the distance, the sky a pale pinkish-blue and Kakashi wished he had a camera. 

He was sitting at his desk, a bowl of cereals half-forgotten in front of him. Waking up this early had been a surprise, especially after the exhausting hike but he had welcomed it and used the time to take a morning shower. It had been incredible cold since he had no warm water here unless he warmed it up himself but once the old sweat had been washed away into the grass, Kakashi had felt much better. 

Most of the dogs were still dozing, too, using the free space on the bed Kakashi had left behind. Even Bull had found a spot for himself, the blanket he had crawled underneath rising and falling with his deep breaths. Urushi was snoring softly, paws twitching every once in a while. Kakashi chuckled. Maybe he should send a message to the ground station and ask for some of those disposable cameras. 

“Good morning, Centipede Lookout!” 

Kakashi valiantly didn’t jump when Iruka’s voice came out of nowhere. He unplugged the radio from the loading station. 

“Good morning, Eagle Lookout. How did you even know I was awake?” He responded. 

“Well, to be fair, I thought I had more time to do my crossword puzzle before you woke up but I saw you moving around and figured: Who else could it be?” 

Kakashi ate another spoon of cereal. It had turned mushy already and he pulled a face. 

“Could have been one of the dogs.” He said. 

“Dogs? Plural? You brought dogs? Tsunade let you bring dogs?”

The surprise in his voice made Kakashi raise an eyebrow. When he had met the director of the park, Tsunade Senju, she hadn’t come across as a very strict person and had not put up much fight when he had asked if he was allowed to bring his dogs. She had been concerned about him being able to take care of eight of them out here but they had worked something out pretty quickly. Kakashi wouldn’t have taken the job if it would have meant leaving his dogs behind. 

“Yeah, all eight of them. But honestly, only Bull is probably big enough to be mistaken for a person.” Kakashi said. 

“Eight? You have eight dogs?” Iruka asked, voice sounding just a little bit hysterical and Kakashi laughed. 

“Yep. Eight’s my lucky number.” 

He finished off his mushy cereal, grimacing all the way through it and then placed the bowl into the sink, filling it halfway with water. He would clean this up properly later. 

“Okay, now I definitely know you’re crazy, at least. Who the fuck has eight dogs? But that’s not why I called, actually. I’m here to give you your instructions! Are you ready?” 

Kakashi had a quick look around the cab. He had unpacked most of his things as well as the supplies that had been brought by another ranger before he had arrived, he had showered and was dressed. He pulled up his mask and adjusted his eyepatch. 

“I’m ready.” He then said. 

The rundown was pretty easy. Iruka explained to him how to use the map in the middle of the room to estimate where exactly a fire was should one break out and then went over the equipment he had in the cab which mostly considered out of more maps and plant and animal guides. 

“Okay, now go outside. I’m not too familiar with Centipede but I’ve been there before and vaguely remember it.” Iruka said. 

Kakashi followed the order quickly, slipping into his shoes. He left the door ajar just a little bit in case any of the dogs wanted to follow outside later on. The morning air was crisp when he took a deep breath and there was a slight breeze rustling through the leaves. 

It was so noisy. Kakashi hadn’t even noticed yesterday- probably had been too tired to do so- but there were birds singing, insects buzzing around and the trees weren’t quiet either, leaves moving in the wind, almost like the whisper of a thousand voices. He gave himself a moment to enjoy it, then hurried down the stairs. 

“Okay, I’m outside. What now?” He said into the radio. 

“I have one question first: Is your hair gray or is that a trick of the light? I think I saw gray. And are you wearing a scarf? Isn’t that hot?”

Kakashi turned into the direction of Eagle Lookout. He couldn’t see the building anymore as it was now hidden behind the tree tops. He wondered just how much he could see from his tower. 

“That’s more than one question.” Kakashi complained. “And yes, it’s gray. A genetic trait in my family. And I’m wearing a mask, not a scarf and it’s very breathable, thank you very much.” 

Iruka seemed to be content with that answer and went off to explain to him where the shower was and how to refill the water tank for it, where the generator was- it was actually up at the tower- and where the outhouse was. 

“There is a supply drop for you every week at Viper Point. The first one is either tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, I’ll let you know when I get words from the ranger station.” Iruka explained. “Your tower doesn’t have a direct line to the station but I can rely any messages for you. And now please excuse me, I will do my crossword puzzle.”

Kakashi made an affirmative noise and walked around the clearing, checking out his new home for the next few months. 

There was something leaning against the backside of the outhouse which caught his attention. It looked like some kind of wood cut-out but it was faced away from Kakashi and he couldn’t quite make sense out of the form. Curiously, he pulled it towards him, tearing some plants apart that had grown over the lower part. 

He stared for a moment, then grabbed the two-way radio he had strapped to his belt and pressed the PTT-button, bringing the radio to his mouth. 

_“What. The. Fuck. Is. That.”_ He hissed. 

It didn’t took long for Iruka to answer. Seemed like his crossword puzzle wasn’t holding his attention too much. 

“What the fuck is what?”

“It’s… a monkey?” Kakashi thought it was a one at least. He had a reasonable good idea of what a monkey looked like but this didn’t look anything like that. It was painted in a cartoonish style, giving the whole thing a rather creepy look, especially its eyes which had no pupils at all. They were just dark, emotionless holes and paired with the way too wide toothy smile made it something very terrifying. “Uh, it’s wearing a dress that kinda looks like a firefighter’s uniform but it’s a dress and it has a helmet and an axe.” 

The radio made a weird crackling sound and it took Kakashi a moment until he realized that it was Iruka laughing. He stared down at this abomination of this.. thing- what even was that? Was he supposed to call this art? It freaked him out so much. Who would make such a thing?- until his colleague was finally done. 

“Oh, you just found Safire, the Safetree Chimpion. She’s our mascot.” 

Safire, the Safetree Chimpion. Kakashi blinked. 

“No.” He said. “Absolutely not.” 

“But yes! She’s a real beauty, isn’t she? I have her in my cab, guarding my bed. She keeps the nightmares away.” Iruka said between laughter. 

Kakashi doubted this thing would keep any bad dreams away. It looked more like it would be causing them. He would never bring it up into the cab. The dogs would hate it, too. He’d bet if he showed it to them right now, they wouldn’t like it. Because they were smart. 

“You’re telling me that the mascot of the Forest Fire Prevention Service is a firefighter monkey called _Safire, the Safetree Chimpion?_ ” Kakashi repeated unbelieving.

“Yep!” 

Kakashi dropped the cut-out with a disgusted sound, determined to pretend he never saw this. If he didn’t see it, it wasn’t there. 

“I’m quitting. I want to quit.” He said. 

“Welcome to the team, Rookie. You grow to love her eventually.” 

He had doubts about that but he didn’t think he had to tell Iruka that and so he just put the radio away and walked up the stairs again. He had yet to refill the dog bowls. Kakashi would have to work out some kind of routine or else he would be running up and down the stairs way too often. And he definitely didn’t want to keep thinking about that nightmare creature lying on the ground not far enough away. 

The dogs hadn’t moved from the bed yet and he shot them a look, calling them lazy under his breath. Refilling the bowls didn’t take long and then he was kind of at loss what he was supposed to do. 

“Hey, Kakashi, help me out for a second.” Iruka’s voice popped up again. “What’s ‘dog paw part’ with three letters?” 

Kakashi looked up at the ceiling for a moment, thinking, then looked at his dogs and their little paws. 

“Pad. It’s pad.” 

“Ah, thanks! I figured you would know- What the fuck?” 

The outrage in Iruka’s voice had Kakashi startle out of the chair he had been slumping in and he quickly looked around, trying to find what was upsetting him so much. He heard it, first. He flinched at the loud bang, followed by a crackling sound. Promptly, the dogs started barking and howling in return. They weren’t fans of it and neither was Kakashi. 

“Are those fireworks? Aren’t they illegal?” Kakashi asked. 

He distantly remembered a sign at the entry gate listing all the things that were forbidden to be brought into the park and fireworks had been one of them. 

“Very illegal! It’s not that dry and hot yet but it’s still dangerous! I think it’s coming from the lake. Get down there and take care of it!” 

“Got it.” Kakashi answered and grabbed his backpack. 

At least it gave him something to do. He really had to work out something when it wasn’t that busy, he couldn’t rely on illegal fireworks all the time. 

  
Kakashi left the dogs at the tower, wanting to explore the area in peace before bringing them along. It just seemed easier for the first time. He had more as enough time to show them around anyway, they’d be here for a while. 

“There should be a cache besides the path somewhere.” Iruka’s voice came from his hip. “It has rope and other climbing gear.”

He unclasped the radio awkwardly. He would have to get used to this, he assumed. At least, it wasn’t so damn quiet when Iruka was with him. Sure, he had come here for the isolation but still, the thought of no human contact at all had been what made him hesitant about this job. It wasn’t like he was completely alone- he had his dogs, after all- and yet, he was somehow glad to have Iruka besides him. Even though technically he was several miles of forest and a giant canyon away and their interaction kind of needed to improve a bit. 

“For what do you need caches?” He asked. 

“To drop off supplies for other lookouts, of course! And rangers and occasionally for some campers.” 

Kakashi did indeed spot a wooden box with the swirly leaf logo of the FFPS painted on it. It looked as if it had seen better days before but who was he to judge? It had probably never been exchanged since it had been placed here. There was a big lock keeping it shut. 

“Found it. What’s the code?” 

“One-Two-Three-Four. It’s the same for all of them, just in case you see another one.” Iruka answered sheepishly. 

“That doesn’t sound very safe.” 

A longer pause followed before Iruka’s voice crackled back through the radio. 

“Yeah, well, there isn’t really anything to steal in there. And if someone’s in the park, they should be able to get those supplies anyway. So what? Most of it is either snacks, some climbing gear or some generally pretty bad books, like this porn series Icha-whatever.” 

Kakashi, who had been fiddling with the- old and somewhat rusty- lock, dropped it with a gasp, reaching for the radio he had place on top of the cache. 

“You did not just say that. It’s not porn, it’s _erotica._ That’s different!” He insisted. 

There was a longer pause that made him feel as if he was being judged. When Iruka finally answered, he was speaking very slowly. 

“Don’t tell me you like those books.” 

It was a clear demand but Kakashi wasn’t going to follow it because, clearly, Iruka had no idea of what he was missing out. Probably judging a book by its cover, quite literally. 

“They are good.” He insisted, only getting a scoff as answer. “They are! Have you ever read them?” 

Finally, the lock sprang open. Inside the cache, he found the promised climbing gear and several metres of rope, just as Iruka had told him. He took it all, adding it into his backpack. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted the bright red package of an energy bar. He took that, too. Maybe he would be feeling peckish on his hike to the supply station. 

“I don’t have to read them to know they are trash. I have standards for my literature and they do not meet it.” Iruka argued. 

Kakashi rolled his eyes. Actually, he could do with a snack right now. He pulled his mask down and then ripped the energy bar open with his teeth, his other hand holding the walkie-talkie. 

“The plot is solid! And the characters are good!” 

He took one bite out of the energy bar and immediately regretted it. It tasted like nothing but still bad somehow and was just so hard, yet chewy at the same time for some reason. He completely missed Iruka’s reply, too busy spitting the chunk out and frantically trying to wipe the taste off his tongue, spluttering as he did so. So much about having a little snack. 

He squeezed the radio between his knees as pulled off his backpack to rummage for his water bottle. 

“Kakashi? You still there?” Iruka asked. 

Kakashi tossed his head back, guzzling down a good part of his water but the taste lingered. Gross. He’d throw the energy bar away but that would be littering and he was not supposed to that as a member of the park staff.

“I’m here.” He then answered. “I found a energy bar in the cache and it was gross.”

The channel was quiet for a long time which- again- gave him the impression of being judged. 

“You… saw an energy bar. In the cache. And you had no idea of how long it had been in there but considering the briefing you got before getting here, you knew that it was probably pretty old. And yet you ate it.”

When Iruka put it that way, it did sound pretty stupid. Kakashi did went through a very thorough briefing that told him- among other things- that he was going to be posted in a fire lookout tower that hadn’t been manned in several years but he hadn’t exactly thought about that when he had seen the energy bar. 

“Kakashi, are you maybe a bit stupid?” 

“I’d argue for ‘No’ but I doubt you’d believe me right now.” 

  
Shi no Mori was beautiful, there was no doubt about it. Kakashi had grown up next to a forest and it would always hold a special place in his heart but the Hatake Forest was breathtaking in a different way, more dark and foggy instead of this kind of bright beauty that seemed to try and do its best to blind anyone looking at it. 

“Why is it called Shi no Mori?” He asked on a whim. 

The name didn’t quite seem to fit. 

“Hm? Oh, I know that!” Iruka said, suddenly sounding very excited. “Way back, during the Warring States Period, a lot of battles actually happened in this forest and since so many died here, the locals started calling it that.” 

Kakashi hopped over a fallen tree. Above him, a bunch of birds took flight, their hurried wing flaps drawing his attention upward. The sun was just reaching over the rocks, the first rays of sunshine reaching this stretch of the forest. 

“Oh, wow, that’s quite gruesome.” He commented. 

“Well, it is the Forest of Death. What did you expect?” 

He shrugged even though Iruka couldn’t see it. 

The path led him through the trees to a steep wall he had to climb down. Someone already had placed a hook in the ground so all he had to do was attach some rope to it and then lower himself down that way. It had been a while since he had went climbing but he still knew all the necessary safety steps and landed safely on his feet. 

“Why eight dogs, though? It doesn’t make much sense to me.” Iruka said. 

Kakashi laughed. Of course it didn’t make much sense. Eight dogs were a lot of work but he loved every single one of his boys. 

“I started out with Pakkun and since I got him, I had to get Bull, too, since they are a duo. The rest just… happened.” 

He had found Shiba not far from some train tracks, the miserable little thing had been dirty and shivering from the cold and he had been unable to leave him there and simply took him along with him. Uhei had just appeared at his doorstep at some point, looking hungry and Kakashi had barely laid his eye on him before he had fallen in love with him. Urushi, Akino and Guruko had followed in such rapid succession he was willing to believe they had planned it out in some way or another and he had gotten Bisuke through a neighbour who had realized that puppies weren’t the best christmas present, after all.

It all had just happened, that much was true. 

“Okay, but eight.” Iruka repeated. 

“Yeah. My lucky number, as I said.” 

Iruka’s laugh rang through the radio before it grew quiet again. 

  
Kakashi hadn’t needed the map to find the lake since there were still fireworks going off for the entire time he was hiking towards it. Iruka kept making the occasional comment about it- mostly it was complaints and a few very rude words- whenever a new explosion fizzled across the sky. 

This hike was surprisingly fun. Kakashi had never went hiking without Dad- he didn’t count any trails he had bested with his squad; even if that had been fun sometimes; it hadn’t been the same- and he had never thought it would be nice. He had missed it, he realized. 

“I missed this.” He admitted into the walkie-talkie. “It’s been a while since- Holy shit are those bear claw tracks?” 

He stared at the tree in front of him, the markings clear and familiar. It had been one of the first things Dad had taught him: Recognizing bear tracks and how to avoid the animals that caused them. It had been necessary since the camping grounds they had went to had a pretty decent bear population. Kakashi just hadn’t expected there to be any in Shi no Mori. 

“Probably. I mean, there are some around here.” Iruka answered. 

It shouldn’t bring a smile to his lips but it did. Maybe he could spot some at some point. Safely from his tower, of course. It could be fun. He would just have to make sure the dogs would be safely inside the cab or else they would freak out. 

He turned a corner, ducked underneath some branches and then stopped. In front of him, there was a campsite absolutely littered with-

“Oh my, that’s a lot of beer.” 

Kakashi nudged one of the empty beer cans with his foot. There were at least a dozen strewn around the little campsite, most of them empty but he could see some more stored away next to the tent. There was even a half-empty bottle of whiskey. 

“Whoever is lightning those fireworks has to be _wasted._ ” He added. 

Iruka groaned. Kakashi sighed and pulled his backpack off, dropping it a bit away to the side and pulled out a trash bag. He didn’t like that he had to play clean-up lady for some drunk campers but it was part of his job. And he couldn’t trust anyone to clean after themselves with so many empty cans around. Still, he decided they could probably do without the whiskey and snatched that for himself. He deserved it. 

“It’s probably teens from the town. Do you know how often I have to pick up teens who think its fun to get their first drinking experience in a forest in the middle of fucking nowhere?” Iruka complained. “ _So many!_ It’s like kids have no fear of forests anymore. I would have never gotten drunk in a forest! Especially if it’s the first time.” 

Kakashi laughed, tying up the trash can. He had gotten all cans here as it looked like but he did an extra sweep, just to be sure. 

“Well, I grew up in a house that was basically in a forest. There was literally a gate and all to make sure we knew where our property ends and the forest begins. So, I drank in a forest for the first time, too.” 

It had been incredible stupid but Kakashi didn’t mentioned that. He’d been seventeen and had stolen a bottle of wine from Dad’s storage- technically, it had been Kakashi’s by then, already but he chased that thought away- and had shared it with Gai in a hunting high seat not too far away from the house, both of them ending up with quite the headache on next day. Neither of them had thought about how they would make it down again which had posed some problems. Kakashi might have fallen down the last few steps of the latter, crashing into Gai and sending them tumbling into the ground. 

“I’m sorry, Kakashi, but knowing this, I think I can’t respect you anymore.” Iruka said solemnly. 

After he had double checked the campsite and didn’t find any more beer cans- no empty ones, at least- Kakashi stuffed the trash bag into his backpack. Behind him, another firework went off. 

“Really? That’s where you’re drawing the line?” He asked. 

A quick look to the map told him that the lake was just behind a rock formation. He still hadn’t thought about what he was going to say but he could come up with something. Especially if it were teens. He could scare some teens from using fireworks, he was sure of it. How hard could it be? 

Kakashi had not made it far until something caught his attention. It was a heap of clothes, two pairs of shorts and two shirts. He fiddled with his radio. 

“Oh boy, seems like they are drunk, lighting fireworks and don’t believe in clothes.” He said. “Skinny dipping, how brave.” 

Especially combined with the fireworks and the alcohol. Didn’t seem too smart. 

As he got closer to the lake, he could hear loud music coming from it. He had to squeeze through some hedges since the path was pretty overgrown and found two sets of bras and panties, confirming his suspicions that those were girls going skinny dipping. Not exactly what he had expected when he took the job as a fire lookout. 

Once at the lake, he found the source of the music- a big radio with the volume turned up all the way- and in the distance, he could make out two people in the lake, close by some rocks. Kakashi sighed and shut off the radio. His ears were ringing. 

“Hey, what the fuck?” One of the girls yelled. “Are you some kind of pervert or what? Get lost!” 

Kakashi lifted his arm in a greeting, waving half-heartedly. 

“Girls, I have to confiscate your fireworks, it’s illegal and very dangerous.” 

Almost immediately, one of them grabbed what he supposed were the fireworks and threw it into his general direction. It landed in the water with a loud splash. 

“Now fuck off, perv!” 

The girls moved behind the rocks, still yelling insults at him. It took him a moment to fish the fireworks out of the water and he pulled a face at how gross they felt. He put them into another trash bag before shoving them into his backpack and walking away from the lake. 

“I got the fireworks, do I have to go back the same way and climb up the wall?” He asked into the walkie talkie. 

“You’re still at the lake? There should be a trail heading east and you can get back to the tower through Cave 44.” 

Kakashi checked his map, trying to figure out what way Iruka was talking about. It was quite easy to find and he set out for his walk home. It was close to midday already. By the time he would make it back to the tower, he could probably make himself some lunch. 


End file.
